Blind Love
by j.m.hxc. xo420
Summary: It's not that being blind bothers me, Mush, it's that it bothers other people. I don't want to be treated differently from any other girl. I still want to love and be loved in return...
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone!

I know I have a couple other fics going ((snicker snicker)) but I realllyy wanted to write this one down. I like this one alot and... well.. just read it and tell me what you think...

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Disclaimer-

I don't own _Newsies_. ((sob sob sob)) I wish I did though! lol.

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The rain poured down from the skys as Mush Meyers ran down the road towards the lodging house. Black ink flowed down his tan skinned arms and left a trail on the pavement behind him. He was holding his unsold papers high above his head to keep the rain from dripping into his eyes and blurring his vision.

He was almost at the lodging house when he noticed a girl of about 14 sitting on the wet pavement just across from him, rain running down her face and soaking her clothes. She was shivvering and looked sad. An umbrella sat abandoned a few feet away from her.

He felt compelled to help her, so he set his papers down and slowly approached the girl.

"Umm... Miss, are youse okay?" he asked. She didn't answer or even blink.

"Miss?" he tried again. Still no response. He knelt down next to her and touched her arm gently.

"Miss, are youse alright?" She looked up at him. Her eyes were a grey color and her cheeks were soaked. Mush couldn't tell if there were tears or if it was just rain.

She sniffled. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." she appologized, wiping her cheeks gently with the back of her hand."I'm Raelyn." she introduced herself, smiling weakly at him. Her voice was quiet and shakey.

"I'm Miguel. But youse can call me Mush." Mush said, offering out his hand to help her up. She didn't move or make any motion to except his gesture. "Do youse need help gettin' up?"

She nodded and reached out her hand. Mush gently helped her up. "I'm just guessin', but dis must be yours." he stated, and handed her the umbrella. She nodded, accepting it in thin, pale hands.

"Do youse need help gettin' home?" Mush inquired, trying even harder to be helpful.

Raelyn shook her head. "I have no where to go really." she admitted, twirling a strand of her curly red hair around her index finger.

"Well, Come with me den. Youse can come sit at da lodgin' house for a while." Mush said, taking her hand and leading her towards the lodging house. "That is, until the rain stops." he added on quickley.

"Are you sure I can go?" Raelyn asked.

"Of course. Da bois won't mind youse bein' dere..." Mush said, leading her gently closer to the lodging house.

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Okay, short, I know. Next chappy will be longer. And next chappy I can give this story a title... so.. read and review! And if people actually like it, I can update quicker!

Conductive Critisicm is appreciated! And so are compliments. ((grin)) lol. I'm not always this bubbly. Just hyper today!

--Take the boat and swear to me never to tell the secret you know of the angel in hell--

--Ginny--


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello Everyone!_

_I'm back after a ridiculously long anbsence. I totally forgot about this story. But now that I found it again, I plan on writing it and finishing it! Okay, enough of me babbling, time for the chapter!_

_---_

_Disclaimer:_

_(Which I forgot last chapter!) I don't own Newsies. I just don't. So don't sue me. If you do... eh, you just had better not!_

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Mush and Raelyn ran into the lodging house, both of them completely soaked. It was pretty quiet, on the exception of Kid Blink sitting on his bunk reading a book.

"Heya, Blink!" Mush called to him.

"Hello, Mush. And..." Blink made motions towards Raelyn.

"Raelyn." She quipped.

"And Raelyn," Blink finished.

"You're home early." Mush mused.

"Eh, I got finished selling early. People pity a poor, soaked, half blind boy. Who doesn't have a place to stay and can't afford to eat anymore because he's trying to pay for his sister's operation." Blink grinned. Mush rolled his eyes.

"That's a whole lot of lies."

"Well, I don't have any more papers do I?" Blink asked, still grinning.

"No." Mush admitted. "But I don't see you with a girl!"

Kid Blink rolled his eyes. "No, I don't." Kid Blink got up to shake Raelyn's hand. Even if Mush got to her first, at least he could be nice to her.

"Kid Blink Parker." He introduced herself and shook Raelyn's hand. Raelyn smiled at him. "Raelyn Pereria."

Blink stared into her eyes for a few moments. They were a cloudy grey. Why did they look so familiar? He knew he had never seen her before, but that look in her eyes... suddenly it clicked.

"Mush..." He whispered to the other boy. "Mush!" he reiterated.

"What?" Mush asked.

"Can I talk to you for a second. Alone?" Blink dropped Raelyn's hand. "You can just sit here for a few minutes."

Raelyn nodded and turned to sit down on the bed. For some reason Mush couldn't explain, she missed the bed and fell onto the floor.

"Are you okay?" Mush asked, concern flooding his voice.

"I'm fine," Raelyn replied lightly. "I just didn't see the bed. Not a big deal..."

"Whaddya want, Kid?" Mush inquired, following Blink to another corner of the room.

"Mush, did you notice anything...odd, about Raelyn?" Blink asked.

"No... well... she does seem to fall down alot. And miss seeing things..." Mush admitted.

"She's blind, Mush. She can't see you. Or any of the objects around her. That's why sometimes she can be clumsy." Blink explained, trying to keep his tone quiet.

"She is not blind, Kid. Don't worry about it..."

"Yes, I am worried Mush. How could you not notice that she was blind?"

"I DON'T KNOW! HOW DID YOU!"

"HER EYES LOOK LIKE MY LEFT ONE DOES, MUSH!"

Mush fell silent. Finally he replied, "There's nothing wrong with her being blind, Kid. You're blind and no one treats you any different."

"I'm only half blind." Blink reminded Mush.

"So what! Just because she's blind doesn't make her any different from anyone else!" Mush hissed, his temper finally reaching boiling point. He stormed away and sat down next to Raelyn.

"You hungry?" Mush asked her. Raelyn nodded. "A little..." she admitted.

"C'mon. I know a great diner down the street. Tibby's. You'll love it, I'm sure." Mush said as he and Raelyn headed outside and into the pouring rain again.

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_That's it for this chapter. I'm still not sure what I'm doing in this story... I can't remember what I was going to do... ah, well. I'll play it however the reviews turn out. R&R!_

_--GiNnY--_

_---_

_Shout outs:_

_Kaitins-_

_Really? Wow. I work with disabled children, and only two of them are blind. (I normally work with mentally retarded children, handicapped, and some are blind) Please correct me whenever I'm wrong. I know I started off well, this chapter was kind of shaky, but the next one will get into the plot more. This one was just one of those necessary ones that you need to have. I appologize for taking so long to update...R&R!_

_Kitty-_

_You had better post one of your stories. Remember our deal? OR ELSE I WILL PUT THOSE AN OF NO RETURN UP! YOU HEAR ME! Thanks for loving it and reading it. But now it's time for you to review again!_

_BlondishBrownish-_

_Thanks. I did keep going. Hehehe. So, I hope you like it so far. And please read and review Broken Heart. (Oh, and a special thanks for reading and reviewing Part Of A Family! That is majorly appreciated!) Please read and review!_

_SadBeautyDot-_

_Thanks. I did work hard on it during Biology class... cough cough I mean, during my free time... but anyways... I hope you liked this chapter. R&R!_

_Garen Ruy Maxwell-_

_Hey, no problem! Your stories rock! Can't wait for more from you! cough cough CALL ME WHISTLER AND A KEY AROUND HIS NECK! And Selkie Queen. I better see more of that one soon! _

_R&R!_

_Hannah-_

_Ah, thank you so much! I feel special when people love my writing. Broken Heart is one of those stories that people really liked. And, odd as it sounds, I'm starting to like it too!_

_--_


	3. Chapter 3

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_Hullo!_

_Erm...hullo? Why don't I just say 'hello' like every other human being? Oh, right, I'm mot any regular human being. I'm insane. So... I'm going to continue this fic just because I love Mush and he is my favourite newsboy. (Bet you all thought it was Spottie, but nope. Mush.)_

_So... many thanks to everyone who reviewed! _

_---_

_Disclaimer:_

_Do I look like I own Newsies? If I did, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction, trust me. lol. Don't sue me, just don't. If you do, you won't get too much money. You might get about a buck, which is about all I own right now._

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Mush and Raelyn didn't even bother running all the way to Tibby's. They pretty much walked there, holding hands.

Raelyn was smiling, even though there wasn't really to much to be smiling about. Mush just walked quietly beside her quietly, the whole time trying to think of what he should say. _What if I asked her if she was really blind. No. That wouldn't work. I'd sound like a jerk. What if..._

His thoughts were interupted by Raelyn's soft voice. "Yes, I'm blind."

Mush looked up as if startled. "Huh?"

"You were wondering if I was blind, weren't you?" Raelyn asked.

"Yeah," Mush admitted. They walked on in silence.  
"It's not a bad thing. Well, it isn't as bad as everyone says. I'm not upset by it. Sure, sometimes I hate not being able to see. But God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I can handle being blind. It's not that being blind bothers me, Mush, it's that it bothers other people. I don't want to be treated differently from any other girl. I still want to love and be loved in return..." Raelyn admitted.  
Mush nodded, trying to understand. "Were you always, ya know, blind?"  
Raelyn shook her head. "No. I was born with perefect eyesite. I had clear, deep blue eyes. Blue like the rain that falls from the sky."  
"So, do you like the rain?" Mush asked.  
"I love the rain. I always have. It's almost like it is washing away your troubles," Raelyn whispered. Her mind drifted back to a time when she had her eyesite. A few years ago. I was thirteen then...  
_The summer rain fell freely from the sky and soaked her skin. It formed puddles around her bare feet, soaked her once curly red hair. Her blue eyes danced and held an impish glow. Like that of a child. A smirk played at the corner of her pale lips.  
Her feet danced to the sound of the rain. She danced freely, not caring if anyone saw her.  
Her faded blue dress stuck to her legs and arms. She rolled the sleeves up and saw the scars on her arms. Deep and dark. She pulled the sleeves back down over the marks and shuddered. _Please let me forget this_. She pleaded silently. _Help me get away from him.  
_Her pleas were lost to the rain. But she tried to forget the pain. At least for the moment. The rain brought a calming effect on her. She sat down and allowed it to soak her. Mind and spirit.  
A moment later, pounding footsteps echoed all around her.  
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE!" A man's voice was yelling. She covered her ears and tried to ignore the voice that screamed at her.  
"DO YOU HEAR ME! I SAID YOU NEED TO GO HOME!" he yelled. She began to shake. She covered her ears, shut her eyes tight. "GET UP AND GO!" He yelled at the skaking form. She didn't budge. "GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND GO!" he hollared, raising his hand threatening to slap her. No move. She shuddered at the impact of the hit. It was more of a punch really... She got up and wiped tears that threatened to pour from her eyes. She turned roughly on her heel and headed home. The man walking behind her making crude comments._  
"It was raining the day I lost my eyesite..."  
"How did it happen?" Mush asked. He loved a story.  
"I warn you, it isn't pleasant..." Raelyn whispered.  
"You can tell me," Mush reassured her.  
Raelyn paused, but began to speak. "It happened the same day..." Mush didn't understand what she meant at first, but listened attentively to what she had to say.  
"I had just gotten home. And he was angry...  
_'What were you thinking! Someone could have taken you!' He yelled. Secretly she wished someone would have taken her. Taken her back to her real home...her family.  
'I wish they had taken me,' she whispered aloud. It was pure accident, but he didn't know that.  
'You! You...YOU DEMON! After all I have done for you!' he hollared. She began to cry. 'STOP CRYING!' He hissed. He slapped her across the face again. She just continued to cry. He jabbed her eyes with his fingers, shoving them in the most painful manner.  
She screamed in anguish. 'It hurts!' He immediately realized that he had hurt the girl, he called for a house doctor. The man said there was nothing that could be done, unless it healed on its own. He gave her vile medicine. 'This should heal it,' he explained. She took the medicine every day, swallowing it's vile taste.  
Yet, something went wrong in the healing process, she became blind. Something formed inside her eye. And she could see nothing but darkness. The man, upon realizing it was all his fault, kicked her out. He shoved her into the streets. He wanted nothing to do with the useless girl.  
Hegave her a cane. It had broken the day Mush had found her. That was why she was sitting alone on the walk. She was too afraid to move. But Mush came, and she found a sense of security in his voice. It reminded her of safety. So she went with him.  
_"And here we are," She sighed. Mush pulled her into a hug. " I'm sorry," he whispered. "Did he...hurt you? Alot?"  
Raelyn nodded. "Every day. We had what he called 'Beating Sessions'. I would sit down and he would hit me and whip me. Once he even stabbed me. I had a brother, too. I don't know where he went. I can't even remember his real name. I always called him Savior, since he would often times stop the sessions. The man stabbed one of my brothers eyes out and one night he managed to sneak out. He never came back."  
"He's missing an eye?" Mush asked.  
"Yeah. It's really too bad that both of us are blind in a way," Raelyn said. By now the two were standing outside Tibby's.  
"Still hungry?" Mush asked, still standing in the rain.  
"Kind of." Raelyn smiled.  
"Well then, M'lady. Let's go eat." Mush matched her smile with a grin.  
Raelyn ordered a water and soup. Mush got a hotdog and a small glass of beer.  
Raelyn quirked an eyebrow at the beer. Mush shrugged. "We drink it alot at the lodging house. Habbits die hard."  
The two sat in a booth by the window while they waited for their food. Raelyn took to listening to the rain as it fell.  
"It sounds so pretty," She whispered. Mush nodded.  
"I wish I could see it..." she mused. "I wish I could see you..."  
Mush smirked. She was so pretty...  
"Raelyn, could I maybe...please... if you don't mind, give you a nickname?" Mush asked awkwardly. Raelyn smiled. "I'd love a nickname."  
"How does Rain sound?" Mush asked.  
"I love it. Very pretty," She said.  
"Like you." Mush whispered to himself. Just then the waitress came over.  
"Here's your food. Enjoy," She replied. She turned to leave and Mush handed her a nickel.   
"Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, her voice happy and excited.  
"No problem." Mush looked across the table at Rain who was struggling to find her spoon. Mush handed it to her, and helped her with the soup.  
"It's hot!" Rain exclaimed, dropping she spoon.  
"Just give it a moment to cool, then," Mush said lightly. Rain nodded. She sipped her water slowly. Just then, the Delancey's entered.  
"Well well well what have we here..." Oscar mused, staring Rain up and down.  
"Back off, Oscar!" Mush hissed.  
"Awww. It's little Miguel. Who is your friend?" Morris asked.  
"Rain. Leave her alone! Or else!" Mush warned.  
"What are you going to do about it?" Oscar inquired. In truth, Mush didn't know what he would do.  
Oscar turned his attention back to Rain. "That's what I thought. C'mon, Toots. We'll show ya around."  
He grabbed her and pulled her out of Tibby's.  
"Mush!" Rain exclaimed. "Help!"  
Mush jumped up and intended to sock Oscar, but he was caught by Morris. "Time to play." Morris grinned wickedly. He grabbed Mush roughly and pulled him outside.  
"Why don't we see what Oscar is doing," Morris suggested. He pulled Mush roughly into the alleyway. Oscar was kissing Rain roughly. Mush could hear Rain's muffled screams and cries for help.  
"LET HER GO! YOU'RE HURTING HER! " Mush hissed. Morris got into Mush's face. His breath smelt strongly of beer. "What are you going to do to make us let her go?"  
Mush thought for a moment, before kneeing Morris hard. Morris' grip only tightened. "That wasn't a good idea." He hissed. He punched Mush in the eye. Then before Mush could even react to that, Morris punched him again, this time just randomly in the face. He punched Mush over and over and over. Mush grimaced and let the blood flow from his face.  
"C'mon, Morris. I'm taking her with me..." Oscar was saying, holding Rain tightly. Morris dropped Mush. And, with a final kick in Mush's gut, he followed Oscar out of the alleyway.  
"Rain..." Mush whispered. "I'm coming..." He tried to get up, but he was too dizzy. He fell onto the ground, hitting his head on the cold, hard pavement. Consciousness slipped from his grasp.  
-  
Rain was being dragged through the streets roughly by Oscar. "STOP! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" she cried.   
"Shut up, Pretty Girl." Morris commanded. Rain kicked furiously. "LET ME GO!"  
She was furiously trying to break free from Oscar's painful grasp. After a long time of kicking, screaming, and hitting him repeatedly, she managed to slip out of his grasp. She didn't know where to go, and all she saw was blackness. She ran towards the first noise she heard. Hoping, somehow, by some weird twist of fate, that she would end up back safe with Mush.  
A moment later, she felt a hard impact and lots of pain. Screams were coming from all over. It hurt so bad...  
_Mush where are you?  
_Suddenly, she heard screams and cries to 'get out of the way' and 'watch out!' but she heard them too late. A moment later, the impact hit. Pain surged through her. She couldn't see what had just happened. The pain began increase and her will decrease. Until finally, she felt and saw nothing.  
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Shout outs:

Kaitins:  
Glad you like it! Yeah, I realized that. This chapter should help you understand a tad bit better. Most of the time though, Mush was leading her around. Hope this chapter is okay! R&R!

Garen Ruy Maxwell:  
Hehe. I'll remember that. I'm working on getting up chapter five of Cracks in the Picture Window. R&R!

KittyKatGoil:

Ahahahaha! Cute. I love the hitmen. ((grins)) Hope you keep reading! R&R!

Cinnamon Spice:

Well, Mush's name can't be Nick, at least not in this story. Since this story takes place in 1899, Nick isn't a name that would be used. Nick is too modern. Back then that name was never used. As for Parker being the last name for Kid Blink, I've heard it used alot before, So I'm just supporting a tradition. What is his _real _last name? Glad you like it. Sorry if I offended you or anything. I didn't mean to. R&R

ElleestJenn:

I love reader support. ((smiles)) R&R!

madmbutterfly:

Well, it is all how you look at it I suppose... And yes, I used Miguel. I've heard it used many a time, and since it is a name they would use back then, I thought I would use it. Oops. I knew it was Constructice Criticism. R&R!

Splashey:

Yay! Glad you think that this story seems good. I hope it gets better. Right now...I dunno. This chapter isn't really to my liking. I think I might re-write it...hrm... R&R!

RileyHiggins:

((grins)) That makes me happy! Glad you like it. And that is kinda weird... but I hope you review again. R&R!

Mom:

Hehehe. Yes, almost all of my stories are newsies. ((innocent grin)) I love newsies. Love ya! R&R!

SadBeauty-Dot:

Hehe. Thank you. yay! someone who likes the story! ((parties)) R&R!

Ginevrathenewself:

Well, I haven't really had any new ideas lately. This is the only idea I came up with. (See, I had this whole huge plan for this story, then I forgot all about it. So at the moment, I'm trying remember the idea.) R&R!

_Chapter end! Next one will be longer. Hope you all enjoyed it. I'm trying to explain Raelyn's past and things a bit more. Sorry if it's a bit etchy and there are alot of spelling errors. Spell check is still down. :(  
R&R!  
--GiNnY--_


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